1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of parachute packing systems. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method and apparatus for packing a parachute canopy into a parachute deployment receptacle.
2. Description of Related Art
Parachute packing is a tedious and strenuous operation, which currently is done completely by hand. Most parachutes for sport and military jumps or cargo drops require placement into tightly confined receptacles for later deployment in mid-air. The parachute must be carefully folded, or “packed” to ensure that it will open reliably. In the U.S. and many developed countries, emergency and reserve parachutes are packed by “riggers” who must be trained and certified according to legal standards. Sport skydivers are always trained to pack their own primary “main” parachutes. The parachute canopy must be neatly folded in a consistent manner throughout the packing process, because a disorganized or sloppy placement into the deployment receptacle can result in malfunctions during the deployment sequence. Indeed, parachutes can malfunction in several ways, particularly if they are not packed properly. Malfunctions can range from minor problems that can be corrected in-flight and still be landed, to catastrophic malfunctions that require the main parachute to be cut away using a modern 3-ring release system, and the reserve to be deployed. Most skydivers also equip themselves with small barometric computers (known as an AAD or Automatic Activation Device, such as, for example, those sold under the trademarks Cypres, FXC or Vigil) that will automatically activate the reserve parachute if the skydiver himself has not deployed a parachute to reduce his rate of descent by a preset altitude. Exact numbers are difficult to estimate, but approximately one in a thousand sports main parachute openings malfunction, and must be cut away, although some skydivers have many thousands of jumps and never cut away (either they pack their mains more carefully than average or they are just lucky). Although skydiving can have its thrills and excitements, it can be very dangerous too. Folding a parachute requires a high degree of skill, and an improperly folded parachute will not deploy, causing you to fall freely to the ground. Thus, the need for careful packing cannot be overstated.
The parachute canopies usually are very slippery, bulky, delicate, and have a fabric memory, thus they are difficult to fold and maintain in a compressed state, while attempts are made to place them into their relatively small deployment bags or receptacles. Because the deployment bags are made of loose fabric, they also are difficult to control and position during the insertion of the folded canopy in a compressed state. For novices and experts alike, this is usually a very frustrating exercise, requiring strength, dexterity and complex hand movements. In many cases, the difficulty of this operation results in a poor pack job, which may increase the possibility of a malfunction or requires the parachute packer to start the process over.
There are a number of already existing devices that are intended to aid in the process of packing and/or deployment of a parachute canopy. Some such devices are intended to, for example, aid in folding or packing a parachute. A common, preferred and well-known method for folding a current generation ram air parachute is referred to as the “PRO” (Proper Ram air Organization) pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,169 to Swanson et al. discloses a retaining clamp for alignment of risers, when packing a parachute. The retaining clamp comprises a base with three prongs defining bores for receiving and engaging large rings of three-ring release assemblies (three-ring release assemblies are used for cutting off the main parachute canopy in the event of malfunction before deploying the secondary parachute in order to avoid entanglement between the main and secondary parachutes). The large rings are inserted in the bores, turned and engaged with the bores by way of force of friction. An alternative embodiment of the retaining clamp comprises a base with two prongs defining a bore for receiving and engaging large rings of three-ring release assemblies. Both embodiments can be used in combination with a parachute folding mat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,400 to Booth discloses a parachute system operable with a drogue parachute, including a bridle and kill line connected to a deployment bag at one end and to the drogue parachute at another. The bridle includes a stop carried within the parachute receptacle for suspension of the parachute receptacle by the drogue parachute during free fall. A plate is carried within the parachute receptacle for securing the stop, when the flaps are in a locked and closed position by a closing member and ripcord. The ripcord includes a ripcord pin and a ripcord line passing through an eyelet of the ripcord pin and attached at a fixed end to the parachute receptacle for providing a pulley effect and thus a mechanical advantage when the free end of the ripcord is pulled. The ripcord further includes left and right lines carried within a housing and an elastic cord between their free ends for biasing ripcord handles against the ripcord housing. To further prevent an out of sequence deployment of the drogue parachute and main parachute, a safety pin is carried by the bridle outside the parachute receptacle and is connected to the ripcord pin for preventing removal of the ripcord pin from the closing member until deployment of the drogue parachute causes the bridle to pull the safety pin from the ripcord pin, thus allowing the ripcord line to pull the ripcord pin from the closing member only after the drogue parachute has been deployed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,404 to Bouchard discloses an improved parachute utilizing a ram air design and having an upper surface connected to a lower surface by a plurality of rib members and forming a plurality of chambers therebetween. The end chambers are smaller than the center chambers and this increases the lift-to-drag ratio of the parachute. The parachute has a substantially elliptical planform so as to increase the aspect and glide ratios of the parachute.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,291 to Crowell discloses a system and method for refurbishing and processing parachutes is disclosed including an overhead monorail conveyor system on which the parachute is suspended for horizontal conveyance. The parachute is first suspended in partially open tented configuration wherein open inspection of the canopy is permitted to remove debris and inspect all areas. Following inspection, the parachute is transported by the monorail conveyor to a washing and drying station with the parachute canopy mounted on the conveyor in a systematic arrangement which permits water and air to pass through the ribbon-like material of the canopy. Following drying of the parachute, the parachute is conveyed into an interior space where it is finally inspected and removed from the monorail conveyor and laid upon a table for folding. Following folding operations, the parachute is once again mounted on the conveyor in an elongated horizontal configuration and conveyed to a packing area for stowing the parachute in a deployment bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,138 to Stencel discloses a method for folding parachutes and a product therefore.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,712,307 to McClintock discloses a parachute pack.
Although there are known devices that are intended to aid in folding or packing a parachute canopy, one problem with the known devices is that they do not provide means for holding open the deployment bag or receptacle, so that a folded parachute canopy can then be pushed into the open deployment receptacle. Thus, there is a need in the art for a convenient apparatus for neatly packing a parachute canopy into a parachute deployment receptacle that overcomes the foregoing and other limitations of the prior art.